Grow Wild to Know Wild
Meadow Clary(Salvia pratensis)

Flowers: June to July
Preferred site: sunny

Description: a striking and easily recognizable perennial herb, Meadow Clary produces long erect spikes of fairly large, purplish blue flowers. Stems are slightly sticky and hairy, with dark green leaves. The few stem leaves are either sessile (without stem) or have shorter stem.

©Simon Williams/Plantlife

Habitats in the wild: grows on chalk or limestone soils, usually in sunny, open grassland but also on south-facing hedge-banks and woodland margins.

Conservation status and threats: the main threats to its remaining populations are a lack of cattle grazing and scrub encroachment on its sites. Its status in Britain is now assessed as Near Threatened.

Reasons for losses in the wild :

Folklore/medicinal uses : the Latin name Salvia is related to Salus (health). The seeds of Meadow Clary were used in the past as a paste to remove particles from eyes and to reduce inflammation or redness. The name 'clary' is derived from 'clear-eye'. It was also used as a gargle for sore throats, and to clean teeth (Arkive). It has been used as a flavouring for beers and wines. .

Position in garden : an attractive perennial for growing in herbaceous or mixed borders, or in thin grass

How to plant and when: plant young, pot-grown plants into well dug ground in spring or autumn. Poor soils will benefit from the addition of garden compost. Water plants well during establishment.

Propagation: best propagated by carefully dividing congested clumps in spring. The plant can also be grown from seed, sown in a standard seed compost in autumn or spring - the pot should stand in a cold frame until germination occurs.

Varieties available: there are many named forms of this species with either just slight variations or completely different colour flowers.

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